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Dept. of Health: The $7 test and other ways to stay healthy

Las Cruces Sun-News

Posted:
01/22/2014 09:24:19 AM MST

Our weekly newspaper column usually tackles its subjects one at a time here at the New Mexico Department of Health, but this week, two things came across my desk I think you should know about. Both are subjects that can sneak up on you if you're not careful.

The first is odorless and invisible: Radon.

The New Mexico Department of Health and the New Mexico Environment Department this month have been encouraging New Mexicans, especially smokers and former smokers, to test their homes for radon.

January for years has been National Radon Action Month because radon testing is easiest and most effective in cooler weather months because our homes tend to be closed up for warmth.

Breathing in radon can increase the risk of lung cancer. This risk is much higher when a person is exposed to radon and also smokes. This is why it's especially important for current and even former smokers to test for radon.

Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. after smoking and the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers.

This gas can build up to dangerous levels inside new and old homes. The only way to know if radon gas is seeping into your home is testing for it. The great thing is testing is easy, inexpensive and takes only a few minutes.

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You can buy radon test kits at local hardware and home improvement stores. Typically, they cost around $25, but the New Mexico Environment Department this month is offering test kits for only $7. To learn more about radon and this special offer, visit https://nmtracking.org.

If your test shows evidence of radon gas at levels of health concern in your home, call the Environment Department at 505-476-8608 to get information about ways you can reduce radon gas in your home and minimize your exposure.

Our other subject this week isn't near as hard to uncover as radon. In fact, it's probably all around you, even if you're lucky up to now not to contract it: It's the flu.

Yes, we're telling New Mexicans again it's not too late to get your flu vaccination, and that's particularly important after the Department of Health did some numbers crunching and found more young people and middle-aged adults are being hospitalized with the flu.

We're talking about people between the ages of 18 to 64. Usually, it's the very young and the very old that are hit hardest by the flu, but not this season. For the week ending Jan. 11 in 2013, adults 18 to 49 were hospitalized at a rate of six people per 100,000 in New Mexico. This year that rate is even higher: 7.2 per 100,000.

The numbers are more concerning if you're in the 50 to 64 age bracket. The hospitalization rate this year is 4.8 per 100,000 compared to 3.0 per 100,000 just one year ago.

The reason? Not enough people in this age range are getting their flu shot to protect themselves, their family and the community. The flu shot is always the best way to protect yourself from the flu. This flu season, most hospitalizations are because of H1N1, one of the strains covered by the flu vaccine. The vaccine often can protect you from getting sick, but even if you do become ill, the shot can make the illness and complications less severe.

So, if you haven't gotten your flu shot yet, it's not too late. Remember you can always call the Department of Health's Immunization Hotline toll free at 866-681-5872. There you can learn about flu vaccination clinics in your area.

So remember these two things to put on your 'to do' list this week: test for radon and get vaccinated for the flu.

David Morgan writes for the New Mexico Department of Health Learn more about NMDoH by logging onto healthynm.org. New Mexico Department of Health can also be found on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Google+.

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